Refined
by theFlyingHobbit
Summary: After a long battle that ended up in the spirit world, Kuvira is sent to jail, "where she belongs" as Raiko says. But, surprising everyone, Korra manages to worm her way past the prison guards and into Kuvira's sad new life.


It took Bataar Jr. exactly one day to come and visit me. When the doors open and he walked in, calm and collected, I thought maybe it was Su, or just some guard.

"Kuvira," he greeted, sitting across from me as if we were playing a game of pai sho, like we used to.

"Bataar."

"I hope you have been well."

So that's what he had come here to do. Mock me. I laughed bitterly. "As well as I could be."

I knew him too well. It took him five seconds after that to blow up - I counted.

"You act as if you don't care," he spat. "As if you don't care how much chaos you have caused."

"If you think I do not care, then you do not know me at all," I replied calmly. "All I ever wanted to do for the Earth Empire was lead and protect it from the scorn of the other nations. It has always been ridiculed and tossed around like a pawn in the midst of war. I wanted to change that."

I looked into Bataar's eyes, and saw nothing but pain and brokenness, though his voice was laced with anger. "You were so caught up in your desire to reaffirm yourself as a leader that you never thought of the others! You grew up as an orphan. My mother took you in, treated you as one of her own. Did that mean nothing?"

"I will always be grateful to Su for her tutelage."

"Clearly your gratitude has always been expressed by a stab in the back."

"I'm sorry that I attacked you, Bataar. Sometimes a leader must make sacrifices -"

"Enough!" Bataar stood up, fists clenched. "Let me ask you one question, Kuvira. Did you ever consider the people you would leave as orphans as the result of your war?"

"I-" The words caught in my throat, seeped into my skin like poison.

Bataar turned to leave. "Asami Sato sends her regards."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

The first time the Avatar came to visit, I was still broken, alone. Sitting in my cell with the cold trickle of grief curling down my spine. It was over. I had come so far, only to face this humiliating defeat.

Now all there was left to do was sit on the cold, platinum floor and let the memories of the past haunt me.

I had been very, very foolish. I hadn't planned enough. I had underestimated the power of the Avatar, the power of nature itself.

But none of that mattered anymore.

I didn't know how many days I spent huddled in my cell, eating the tasteless gruel they brought me. I couldn't earthbend, couldn't sense anything around me - they made sure of that. It was as if the earth itself had deserted me.

She came in that day, looking stronger than ever. She greeted me as if I was an old friend. I didn't look up.

"I thought I'd pay you a visit," the Avatar said. "I just came back from a journey in the Spirit World. It's really beautiful there, not without its challenges of course, but Asami and I enjoyed it."

I listened quietly as she told me about riding on the backs of spirits, exploring the Spirit World with her girlfriend. She looked so much at peace, describing it all, and I wondered if I would ever be able to experience such a thing. I could tell that she was happy with Asami Sato...that the two of them had grown to complement each other in ways I couldn't describe.

Bataar...did I love him?

Perhaps I did once. I wasn't so sure I could recognize what love was back then. What the Avatar was describing...that was love.

"The rest of the world is really starting to coexist well with the spirits. Varrick's developed some new technology that's helped a lot of people, humans and spirits. It's great...I kind of wish you could see it."

But of course that wasn't possible. I almost laughed. I had tried to harness the spirit power...I was an enemy to the Spirit World.

I didn't know how much time passed, with the Avatar talking to me as I sat silent, staring at the floor. As the Avatar stood up to leave, she said, "Listen...I know that my being here is weird. You're probably wondering why I've been telling you all this but... Kuvira, my friends are some of the most important people in the world to me. And if you'll accept it...I'd like to be your friend."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

That wasn't the last time she came to visit, much to my chagrin. During all of her visits, we sat on the cold floor and she told me about whatever was going on in the world.

"Prince Wu is really doing a great job with the Earth Kingdom," the Avatar said. "I'm surprised, but it really does look like he's listening to the people more now. He's gotten real friendly with the badger moles too."

The idiot prince. I had to say, I was surprised too. He didn't turn out half bad. Still as bothersome as ever, though.

"Repairs on Republic City are going well. President Raiko is expanding the city. Nothing crazy has happened yet, but I'm itching to get into back into action, you know."

In between her visits, I heard the guards whispering about the Avatar, wondering why she continued to visit me week after week.

"If I was Avatar Korra, I'd never want to see her again," one scoffed.

"No kidding. Kuvira's crazy, and everyone knows it."

I turned my back to the door and refused to think of their words.

The Avatar was my personal, unwarranted radio announcer. She would come once a week, sometimes bringing bread or other types of food, sit down beside my silent figure and tell me about the world. It was quite irritating.

It was very unexpected when one day, she stumbled into my prison. For once, she said nothing, and I looked up, curious as to the reason why. I saw that she was shaking with silent sobs, tears running down her face.

"W-what's wrong?"

My voice was hoarse with disuse, unfamiliar to me because I hadn't used it in so long.

"Katara," she managed. "She died this morning."

I never knew Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, only of her influence on the Avatar and Toph Beifong's old stories here and there.

"I...I'm sorry," was all I said. As an afterthought, I stood up and place a hand on her shoulder.

The Avatar glanced at me with tear-stained cheeks and watery blue eyes. She didn't thank me, but I could see it.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

After that, something seemed to change. I no longer stared at the floor when she came to see me. Perhaps it was because she wasn't just telling me about daily occurrences, no, for the following weeks she told me about Katara. Her waterbending instructor. Tenzin's mother. The one who taught her how to sled with penguin-seals.

"She was almost like a second mother to me," Korra explained. "When I was young, I didn't like her, mostly because I kept wanting to leave the Southern Water Tribe. But she was the one who helped me stand on my own two feet again after the poison weakened my body. I can never thank her enough."

"You were very close to her," I replied.

"Yeah," Korra smiled. "I'm going to miss her stewed sea prunes."

"That sounds disgusting."

"Aang thought they were gross too," she laughed. "I guess it's just a water tribe thing."

Avatar Korra was a strange but not unlikeable person. She laughed easily, and very loudly, and was always coming up with all sorts of ridiculous ideas.

"You know," she said one day. "I know that you probably hate being locked up in here. I can't get you released, but you could probably practice your bending forms. That'll keep your body strong."

It almost seemed as if she had read my mind, sensed my discomfort that day. I had woken up with a crick in my neck, and my limbs felt like gelatin.

"I don't need your advice," I mumbled.

"Sure, but I thought you might be interested in this new bending form Toph taught me."

She had my interest.

"Fine. Show me."

Korra stood up and showed me the new form. Arms at her sides at a right angle, she slid her left leg forward and spun around, kicking her right leg up and around to bend imaginary rock.

"Come on." She motioned for me to stand. "I'll show you."

My movements were not nearly as fluid as hers, and I nearly fell once, but I managed to keep my balance.

"Just to think about," she assured as she left.

I didn't want to act like I cared - I called it an excuse for something to do. I practiced the new form and the old ones, day after day. I felt stronger, and I could almost feel my connection to the earth returning.

The door opened one day while I was mid-formation. I turned around to see a surprised Korra, but her face quickly relaxed into a smile.

"I uh, brought tea," she said, holding out a teapot.

We sat down with a small table in the middle and ginseng tea in fancy cups, I in my prison garb and she in her wate rtribe clothing. If it weren't for the setting, I might have been able to delude myself into thinking it was a gathering between two world leaders.

"Thank you," I nodded.

This turned out to be a trend. Tea time was very often silent, just the clink of ceramic cups and metal spoons. Sometimes she'd bring a pai sho set for us to play while drinking whatever new blend Fire Lord Zuko had concocted.

One day, as soon as Korra left, I found that she had left behind a metal spoon. I held it in my fingertips, feeling the familiar fibers of refined earth. I could have used it...it's surprising what one can do with a little bit of metal.

I found I did not care.


End file.
